Five tiny kittens have been found abandoned in a plastic bag inside a cardboard box in the grounds of the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.

The newborn kittens were found by a passer-by who spotted them in a black bin liner that had been placed inside a box at the hospital on Sunday.

RSPCA animal welfare officer Alison Sparkes said: “The kittens are very lucky to have been found - at this age there is no way they would have survived on their own. They are way too young to be without their mum, and are having to be hand-reared by volunteers.

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“It’s heartbreaking to think someone could just put them in a bag and leave them to die. We urge anyone who saw anything suspicious at all to call us on 0300 123 8018.”

Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital

Rachel Sirdefield, deputy manager at RSPCA Little Valley where the kittens are now receiving round the clock care, said: “There was no sign of mum but luckily all of the kittens were still alive despite their desperately vulnerable state. They were absolutely teeming with fleas and very hungry, but after lots of TLC and treatment they are now content.

“Staff will now be working around the clock to make sure they are fed every couple of hours to ensure their best chance of survival.

“We understand that people may be interested in adopting but it is still very early days and it will be almost a couple of months before we start looking for homes. We would really like to be able to make sure that their mum is doing okay and find out who abandoned these poor kittens. We are appealing for anyone who may have any information about where these kittens have come from.”

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RSPCA cat welfare expert Alice Potter said: “The RSPCA is urging loving owners to get their cats spayed to protect them from getting pregnant. It can also help protect them from developing potentially deadly diseases of the ovaries and uterus.

“Male cats that haven’t been neutered are also more likely to roam and fight, putting them at risk of injury, infected wounds and contracting diseases, including FIV - the feline equivalent of HIV.”

In 2016, the RSPCA neutered 41,495 cats across England and Wales, this relates to both male and female cats.

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Alice continued: “The romance and the reality of having a litter of kittens are two very different things - with around 68% of litters of kittens being unplanned - that’s a lot of people in for a much bigger surprise than they bargained for.

“The RSPCA advises having cats spayed at four months - before they are free to venture outdoors unsupervised and start to attract the attention of Tom cats. This would help to alleviate the cat overpopulation crisis.”